Where the Wild Things Are (2009)
Definitely not for the young, but for the young-at-heart
27 October 2009
Where the Wild Things Are is quite possibly the deepest adaptation of a mere children's book in the history of film-making. The 1963 picture book was expanded to become this massive production full of lush scenery, incredible special effects, heavy drama, and an overall nostalgic (yet dark) look at childhood. What makes this movie work is the incredible directing talent of Spike Jonze, one of the best directors of any entertainment medium in the last two decades. However, this movie is not for children in the least bit, its for those who remember how tough it was to be a child, especially when the chips are against you. Forget the PG rating, this movie has the indie flavor, the indie atmosphere, and the indie complexity that you would expect from circulating film festivals everywhere. When you mesh a big budget with Spike Jonze, expect beautiful magic, just not the kind your children should watch.
The movie is about a very angry boy named Max (Max Records) that is haunted by loneliness and the disappearance o his father. He has a very active imagination and wants everyone else to be forever embedded in his imaginary world. After an angry encounter with his mother (Catherine Keener) he runs away from the house and enters a world full of lush scenery, massive monsters, and enough land to construct whatever his heart desires. He quickly gains approval from the monsters around him as they try to build a brand new community full of passageways, forts, and secret entrances. However, this new world is full of the same problems that he encountered in the real world, except it's more dangerous because of the massive monsters that carry a hint of unpredictability.
Where The Wild Things Are contains very few actual actors and actresses, with much reliance on special effects and massive puppets; but the entire effort works perfectly. Max Records himself does a great job portraying an emotionally torn little boy with layers of emotions. Part of it has to do with Spike Jonze, but most of it is because of this little boy's incredibly mature acting skills. The voice acting throughout the second and third half is just as incredible, as they range from the ever-reliable Catherine O'Hara, to Chris Cooper, to James Galdolfini (Yes, from the Sopranos). There's actually a small amount of Best Supporting Actor buzz attributed to Galdolfini because of his ability to bring the main monster Carol to life.
Spike Jonze is one of the best directors in the business, and easily is the main reason why the film works. Check out his prior experience: Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, and amazing music videos of "Sabotage," "Buddy Holly," "Undone," "Weapon of Choice," "Rockafella Skank," "Praise You," "Its Oh So Quiet," "California," and much more (I suggest you take a trip to YouTube if you have not seen any of these videos). Spike Jonze is the best music video director I've ever seen, and after this movie, is also one of the best film directors out there. He quite literally brings the story to life, and perfectly blends the special effects with the scenery and the young actor. There is virtually no distinction between what is happening and what is post-production, it just looks that good.
There are sweeping shots of endless ocean, endless sand oceans and endless forests. Some of the visuals you'll see in this movie are virtually indescribable, especially when they start building a new home and fort. The movie looks fantastic, and is undoubtedly one of those films that absolutely needs IMAX and eventually Blu-Ray. The cinematography and directing is top-notch, and carries the movie whenever there's any sign of slowdown. Jim Henson's Creature Shop is one of the main reasons why this movie works, as their contribution in terms of animatronics, puppetering and the effects associated with it were spellbinding.
What really drags this movie is the mere grim material, especially considering that it was a children's book that celebrated childhood while having the subtle moments of youthful angst. This movie is pretty much running on youth angst, as even the monsters show heavy signs of anger, torment, and violence. That's what makes this movie one of the darkest PG movies in a very long time, and one that distances itself from the average family fare. The movie becomes a celebration on how easy yet confusing it was to be a child in a grown-up world, and even when you can transport yourself to your dream surroundings, these feelings of loneliness, depression, anger, and confusion linger. It's an adult movie about a kid, and this kind of combination is quite dangerous if you want to make money, luckily Spike Jonze is one of the few always willing to bend the rules and put art ahead of success.
Bottom Line: A fantastic-looking movie full of the themes and tribulations that was experienced in such few words in the original book by Maurice Sendeck, Spike Jonze blends excellent cinematography with flawless direction in order to bring the imaginative book to life. Pulling off great performances from the kids, adults, and puppets, Where the Wild Things Are is an indie movie at heart with the budget of a blockbuster. The five-plus year wait to bring the movie to audiences everywhere came with good reason, as no studio company wanted to budget and distribute a PG movie that isn't for the whole family. The dark material may hamper the lovely memories of the childhood imagination and fragility (and the movie itself), but overall it's an experience that should be seen at least once. Where the Wild Things Are is one of the best films of the year, and easily better than the average PG flick.
Definitely not for the young, but for the young-at-heart
27 October 2009
Where the Wild Things Are is quite possibly the deepest adaptation of a mere children's book in the history of film-making. The 1963 picture book was expanded to become this massive production full of lush scenery, incredible special effects, heavy drama, and an overall nostalgic (yet dark) look at childhood. What makes this movie work is the incredible directing talent of Spike Jonze, one of the best directors of any entertainment medium in the last two decades. However, this movie is not for children in the least bit, its for those who remember how tough it was to be a child, especially when the chips are against you. Forget the PG rating, this movie has the indie flavor, the indie atmosphere, and the indie complexity that you would expect from circulating film festivals everywhere. When you mesh a big budget with Spike Jonze, expect beautiful magic, just not the kind your children should watch.
The movie is about a very angry boy named Max (Max Records) that is haunted by loneliness and the disappearance o his father. He has a very active imagination and wants everyone else to be forever embedded in his imaginary world. After an angry encounter with his mother (Catherine Keener) he runs away from the house and enters a world full of lush scenery, massive monsters, and enough land to construct whatever his heart desires. He quickly gains approval from the monsters around him as they try to build a brand new community full of passageways, forts, and secret entrances. However, this new world is full of the same problems that he encountered in the real world, except it's more dangerous because of the massive monsters that carry a hint of unpredictability.
Where The Wild Things Are contains very few actual actors and actresses, with much reliance on special effects and massive puppets; but the entire effort works perfectly. Max Records himself does a great job portraying an emotionally torn little boy with layers of emotions. Part of it has to do with Spike Jonze, but most of it is because of this little boy's incredibly mature acting skills. The voice acting throughout the second and third half is just as incredible, as they range from the ever-reliable Catherine O'Hara, to Chris Cooper, to James Galdolfini (Yes, from the Sopranos). There's actually a small amount of Best Supporting Actor buzz attributed to Galdolfini because of his ability to bring the main monster Carol to life.
Spike Jonze is one of the best directors in the business, and easily is the main reason why the film works. Check out his prior experience: Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, and amazing music videos of "Sabotage," "Buddy Holly," "Undone," "Weapon of Choice," "Rockafella Skank," "Praise You," "Its Oh So Quiet," "California," and much more (I suggest you take a trip to YouTube if you have not seen any of these videos). Spike Jonze is the best music video director I've ever seen, and after this movie, is also one of the best film directors out there. He quite literally brings the story to life, and perfectly blends the special effects with the scenery and the young actor. There is virtually no distinction between what is happening and what is post-production, it just looks that good.
There are sweeping shots of endless ocean, endless sand oceans and endless forests. Some of the visuals you'll see in this movie are virtually indescribable, especially when they start building a new home and fort. The movie looks fantastic, and is undoubtedly one of those films that absolutely needs IMAX and eventually Blu-Ray. The cinematography and directing is top-notch, and carries the movie whenever there's any sign of slowdown. Jim Henson's Creature Shop is one of the main reasons why this movie works, as their contribution in terms of animatronics, puppetering and the effects associated with it were spellbinding.
What really drags this movie is the mere grim material, especially considering that it was a children's book that celebrated childhood while having the subtle moments of youthful angst. This movie is pretty much running on youth angst, as even the monsters show heavy signs of anger, torment, and violence. That's what makes this movie one of the darkest PG movies in a very long time, and one that distances itself from the average family fare. The movie becomes a celebration on how easy yet confusing it was to be a child in a grown-up world, and even when you can transport yourself to your dream surroundings, these feelings of loneliness, depression, anger, and confusion linger. It's an adult movie about a kid, and this kind of combination is quite dangerous if you want to make money, luckily Spike Jonze is one of the few always willing to bend the rules and put art ahead of success.
Bottom Line: A fantastic-looking movie full of the themes and tribulations that was experienced in such few words in the original book by Maurice Sendeck, Spike Jonze blends excellent cinematography with flawless direction in order to bring the imaginative book to life. Pulling off great performances from the kids, adults, and puppets, Where the Wild Things Are is an indie movie at heart with the budget of a blockbuster. The five-plus year wait to bring the movie to audiences everywhere came with good reason, as no studio company wanted to budget and distribute a PG movie that isn't for the whole family. The dark material may hamper the lovely memories of the childhood imagination and fragility (and the movie itself), but overall it's an experience that should be seen at least once. Where the Wild Things Are is one of the best films of the year, and easily better than the average PG flick.
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